Saturday, December 6, 2014

This most beautiful private jet currently in the market. It is the world’s faster private jet and it offers the ultimate in luxury air travel.
Its price tag is $65 Millions. And that is without taking into account the several million dollars needed each year in running costs, such as maintenance, fuel, insurance and crew.

There are only 40 Gulfstream G650 planes in the whole world and there is a three year waiting list for 160 buyers.

The expectation is such that second hand aG650 are more expensive that if you buy a new one. The problem with the new one is that you have to wait. The Gulfstream G650 is the gold standard in business aviation.

After
several years of project management experience I decided to test both. Basically, I
attended the preparatory courses for both certifications (ISEIG & Learning Tree UK). Finally, I
decided that due to the adaptability degree and large
possibilities of tailoring, I chose to invest my energy on the PRINCE2
methodology. PRINCE2 better fits in my opinion with a large project scope. I also wanted to take advantage of the Agile Approach to be incorporated within the project management method I use. This related to concepts such as "Scrum" and the Agile dashboard "Kanban".

I found out that it is not difficult to integrate PRINCE2 and Scrum together while in the process of "Managing Product Delivery (MPD)" in its activity "Accept a Work Package"

Basically,
a PRINCE2 project proceeds as per the PRINCE2 manual and during the process "Controlling a Stage" in the Activity "Authorize Work Package".

In
other words, the PRINCE2 Project Manager (PRINCE2 PM) must be seen as
the Product Owner. Indeed he is representing the customer requirements.
In the "Managing Product Delivery (MPD)", the PRINCE2 PM agrees with the Team Manager the work package to be delivered. Once
that the work package to be delivered is agreed, thus the Team Manager
(most likely the Development Team Leader) may simply implement Scrum
during the "Managing Product Delivery (MPD)" stage corresponding to the
current "Controlling Stage (CS)". The Development Team Leader simple
assumes that the "Work Package (PRINCE2)" is the "Product Backlog
(SCRUM)". The "Product Backlog (SCRUM)" is split into as many sprints
as needed and as long as the entire process is completed by the
timescales assigned in the Work Package. As noted, the PRINCE2 PM
does not play a role in the "Managing Product Delivery (MPD)" stage (following PRINCE2 principle defined roles and responsibilities). The
PRINCE2 PM just gets Checkpoint Reports according to the agreed frequency under the Work Package composition "Reporting agreements".

The
only other interaction that the PRINCE2 PM will carry out is to receive
Issues (Issues Reports) from the Scrum Master ("Capture and examine
issues and risks" PRINCE2 activity). The PRINCE2 PM will also pass changes down to the Development Team lead ("Review Work Package status" activity). How
these issues are analyzed and acted upon and how the changes were
approved does not concern the Scrum team. The PRINCE2 PM handles these
activities using the PRINCE2 approach process "Controlling a Stage
(CS)".

Thus, it has been shown throughout this short article that there is no overlap or modification of either methodology. PRINCE2
and Scrum methodologies are intact and neither the PRINCE2 PM or Scrum
team need to be burdened with any more responsibility than they would
have had before combining the approaches.

In conclusion, both PRINCE2 and SCRUM integrate perfectly together by complementing each other (methodology and agility).

Saturday, October 18, 2014

Those terms have its roots from Aristotle.Ethos is mainly your personal credibility demonstrated when you face a situation banking on your technical expertise. It is also the ability to convince your audience without deceiving them even if you know that you can.Pathos is creating an emotional attachment with your audience. You can achieve this, by showing them that you care about their future, and their own developments like you do for the company’s progress. Pathos is a crucial element, which distinguishes an effective leader based on the audience perception.Logos is your reasoning and your logic that appeals to your audience. A good communicator expresses clearly himself, analyzes thoroughly the situations and shows strength to strategic thinking, and problem resolving. An effective communicator collects data and facts, filters them, and articulates strongly his decisions. Because some data are complicated, an effective leader is responsible to simplify it and makes it easy for his audience to understand it.

In conclusion, if you want to succeed your speech to an audience you will need to combine the ethos, pathos and logos sucessfully, the basics dimensions of source credibility.

Saturday, September 20, 2014

This week in September 2014, I was following one of the modules from the Master Business Administration (MBA) when the lecturer provided the audience a very interesting anecdote about Thomas Bata, founder of Bata shoes. By the way, this summer I had the chance to be in front of the dedicated museum in Toronto.

The mentioned story speaks itself about the entrepreneurial nose for opportunity.
Mr. Bata was considering to expand its market segment possibly to Africa.
In order to get a better feeling of the potential market share, Mr. Bata traveled with one of his senior executive to Africa.
Both agreed to take different routes by observing the use of shoes, trends during their journey and then to meet and share their observations, compare notes and take a decision once they will be back in Canada.

Once they were back in Canada, they met.
The senior executive reported that the market was not worth. As he stated "There is no way we are not going to sell shoes down there. It is hopeless. Over ninety-percent of the people do not even wear shoes. The remaining ten-percent wear sandals".

Mr. Bata, the entrepreneur, listened carefully and then provided his observations as follows:
"This is one of the greatest opportunities in the history of our company. The possibilities are endless…think about it, no one even wears shoes down there".

The moral of this story is that opportunities can be sized. But you have to look at the environment around you with different eyes and with a different "mind set".

About the Author
Jose Ferreiro is an entrepreneur and a performer with a passion for working to make this world a better place!

Saturday, August 23, 2014

His father gave him a bag of nails and told him that every time he lost his temper, he must hammer a nail into the back of the fence.

The first day the boy had driven 37 nails into the fence. Over the next few weeks, as he learned to control his anger, the number of nails hammered daily gradually dwindled down. He discovered it was easier to hold his temper than to drive those nails into the fence.

Finally the day came when the boy didn't lose his temper at all. He told his father about it and the father suggested that the boy now pull out one nail for each day that he was able to hold his temper. The days passed and the young boy was finally able to tell his father that all the nails were gone.

The father took his son by the hand and led him to the fence He said, "You have done well, my son, but look at the holes in the fence. The fence will never be the same. When you say things in anger, they leave a scar just like this one. You can put a knife in a man and draw it out. It won't matter how many times you say I'm sorry, the wound is still there.” A verbal wound is as bad as a physical one.

So remember that friends are very rare jewels indeed. They make you smile and encourage you to succeed. They lend an ear, they share words of praise and they always want to open their hearts to us. In other words, think before you speak and be king to one another.